Fast forward a few decades to the early 1900s and the first generation of immigrants have more or less settled here. They yearned to build more permanent, substantial homes for themselves. Shophouses became taller, more brightly coloured, and began to see more facade ornamentation like decorative panels and carvings, although they were still relatively simple and restrained.
This style made a comeback in the late 1930s, possibly in response to the dire economic slump that was the Great Depression.
One example of surface decoration is the jian nian (剪粘) mosaic (see below top left). Ceramic or porcelain pieces were cut and pasted onto a plaster base to depict animals and flowers.